خَلَعْتُ فِي حُبِّ غِزْلانِ الْحِمَى رَسَنِي

وَبِعْتُ بِالسُّهْدِ فِي لَيْلِ الْهَوَى وَسَنِي

I fell passionately in love with the gazelles of ardour which emaciated me,

And I spent the night awake in the madness of passion which exhausted me,

وَأَعْجَبَتْنِي عَلَى ذَمِّ الْعَذُولِ لَهَا

صَبَابَةٌ نَقَلَتْ سِرِّي إِلَى الْعَلَنِ

And I was amazed that she reproached me for my aloofness,

While a young girl conveyed my secret into the open,

فَلْيَبْلُغِ الْعَذْلُ مِنِّي مَا أَرَادَ فَقَدْ

أَسْلَمْتُ لِلشَّوْقِ رُوحِي وَالضَّنَى بَدَنِي

Let censure reach me as much as it wants, for I have

Surrendered my soul to longing and my body to sorrow,

تِلْكَ الْحَمَائِمُ لَوْ تَدْرِي بِمَا لَقِيَتْ

أَهْلُ الْمَحَبَّةِ لَمْ تَسْجَعْ عَلَى فَنَنِ

If only those censurers knew what the lovers have suffered,

They would not slumber in their disdain,

يَا رَبَّةَ الْخِدْرِ قُومِي فَانْظُرِي عَجَباً

إِلَى غَرَائِبَ لَمْ تُقْدَرْ وَلَمْ تَكُنِ

O beauty asleep, arise and wonder at the strange things,

The likes of which have never been destined or existed before,

هَذِي يَدِي جَسَّهَا الآسِي وَخَامَرَهُ

يَأْسٌ فَغَادَرَهَا صَرْعَى مِنَ الْوَهَنِ

By despair, till it lies crippled with feebleness,

And he said: “Do not hide anything from me, for I know

وَقَالَ لا تَكْتُمَنْ أَمْرَاً عَلَيَّ فَقَدْ

عَلِمْتُ مَا بِكَ مِنْ بَادٍ وَمُكْتَمِنِ

What you conceal and hide,”

But I gave no answer except that tears flowed from my breast

فَلَمْ أُجِبْ غَيْرَ أَنَّ الدَّمْعَ نَمَّ عَلَى

وَجْدِي وَدَلَّتْهُ أَنْفَاسِي عَلَى شَجَنِي

And my sighs led them down my cheek,

Have mercy on me, I do not ask of you anything

عَطْفاً عَلَيَّ فَلَمْ أَطْلُبْ إِلَيْكِ سِوَى

أَنْ أُمْتِعَ الْعَيْنَ مِنْ تِمْثَالِكِ الْحَسَنِ

Except to delight my eyes with your beautiful image,

What reason did the critic have to note my passion

مَا لِلْعَذُولِ رَأَى وَجْدِي فَأَحْفَظَهُ

حَتَّى أَتَاكُمْ بِقَوْلٍ مِنْ هَنٍ وَهَنِ

And preserve it until he brought you idle talk?

Do not accept criticism of one like me, for every noble-natured youth

لا تَقْبَلِي الْعَذْلَ فِي مِثْلِي فَكُلُّ فَتَىً

حُرِّ الشَّمَائِلِ مَحْسُودٌ عَلَى الْفِطَنِ

Is envied for his refined traits and slandered,

And people are the enemies of men of merit ever since

وَالنَّاسُ أَعْدَاءُ أَهْلِ الْفَضْلِ مُذْ خُلِقُوا

مِنْ عَهْدِ آدَمَ سَبَّاقُونَ فِي الإِحَنِ

They were created, hastening to find fault from the start,

So there is no true friend who agrees on affection,

فَلا صَدِيقَ عَلَى وُدٍّ بِمُتَّفِقٍ

وَلا خَلِيلَ عَلَى سِرٍّ بِمُؤْتَمَنِ

Nor trusted confidante who guards a secret,

Would that my soul’s caprices were a deceitful

فَلَيْتَ لِي وَدَوَاعِي النَّفْسِ كَاذِبَةٌ

خِلاً يَكُونُ سُرُورَ الْعَيْنِ وَالأُذُنِ

Friend who could cheer my eye and ear!

I would purify my love for him and let passion dictate to him,

أُصْفِيهِ وُدِّي وَأُمْلِيهِ الْهَوَى وَأَرَى

مِنْهُ الصَوَابَ وَأَرْجُوهُ عَلَى الزَّمَنِ

And expect what is right from him and hope he will last,

Alas! I seek a thing no living man can attain,

هَيْهَاتَ أَطْلُبُ أَمْرَاً لَيْسَ يَبْلُغُهُ

حَيٌّ وَلَوْ سَارَ مِنْ هِنْدٍ إِلَى يَمَنِ

Even if he travelled from India to Yemen,

Gently, o ignorant brother! Let not what your eyes have seen

مَهْلاً أَخَا الْجَهْلِ لا يُغْوِيكَ مَا نَظَرَتْ

عَيْنَاكَ فِي هذِهِ الدُّنْيَا مِنَ الْفِتَنِ

In this world of temptations lead you astray!

Consider this wilderness, and if you find in it anything

هذِي الْبَرِيَّةُ فَانْظُرْ إِنْ وَجَدْتَ بِهَا

غَيْرَ الَّذِي قُلْتُ فَاهْجُرْنِي وَلا تَرَنِي

Other than what I have said, shun me and do not see me again!

I am the one who has learned of the days and had

أَنَا الَّذِي عَرَفَ الأَيَّامَ وَانْكَشَفَتْ

لَهُ سَرَائِرُهَا مِنْ كُلِّ مُخْتَزَنِ

Their secrets unfolded before me from every hidden place,

I have wandered the lands and tested mankind but have never

طُفْتُ الْبِلادَ وَجَرَّبْتُ الْعِبَادَ فَلَمْ

أَرْكَنْ لِخِلٍّ وَلَمْ أَجْنَحْ إِلَى سَكَنِ

Rested my hopes on a friend nor inclined toward rest,

I was born free and am unsuited to behave humbly

خُلِقْتُ حُرّاً فَلا قَدْرِي بِمُتَّضِعٍ

عِنْدَ الْمُلُوكِ وَلا عِرْضِي بِمُمْتَهَنِ

Before kings or sell my honor for money,

I have no fault but that I have complained of

لا عَيْبَ فِيَّ سِوَى أَنِّي عَتَبْتُ عَلَى

دَهْرِي فَقَدَّمَ مَنْ دُونِي وَأَخَّرَنِي

My fate, which advanced others before me and held me back,

And such is the way of the world! How strange

وَهَذِهِ شِيمَةُ الدُّنْيَا وَمِنْ عَجَبٍ

أَنِّي أَرَى مِحْنَتِي فِيهَا وَتُعْجِبُنِي

That I should see my torment in it and yet it pleases me,

The happiness which time brings is not equal

لَيْسَ السُّرُورُ الَّذِي يَأْتِي الزَّمَانُ بِهِ

يَفِي بِقَدْرِ الَّذِي يَمْضِي مِنَ الْحَزَنِ

To the sadness that passes away,

Set out ahead of yourself if you are wise,

فَاسْتَبْقِ نَفْسَكَ إِنْ كُنْتَ امْرَأً فَطِناً

وَاقْنَعْ بِعَيْشِكَ فِي سِرْبَالِكَ الْخَشِنِ

And be content with your living in your rough cloak,

Do not babble of selfish wants for in them lies

وَلا تَفُهْ بِحَدِيثِ النَّفْسِ إِنَّ بِهِ

شَرَّ الْحَيَاةِ وَسَعْيَ الْحَاسِدِ الأَفِنِ

The evil of life and the efforts of envious destroyers,

And do not seek anyone's help in expectation

وَلا تَسَلْ أَحَداً عَوْناً عَلَى أَمَلٍ

حَتَّى تَكُونَ أَسِيرَ الشُّكْرِ وَالْمِنَنِ

Until you are a prisoner of gratitude and obligation,

The best kind of life is one lived with ease,

خَيْرُ الْمَعِيشَةِ مَا كَانَتْ مُذَلَّلَةً

هَوْناً وَثَوْبُكَ مَعْصُومٌ مِنَ الدَّرَنِ

Your clothes guarded from tatters,

And treat people with kindness, so if an injury occurs

وَعَاشِرِ النَّاسَ بِالْحُسْنَى فَإِنْ عَرَضَتْ

إِسَاءَةٌ فَتَغَمَّدْهَا عَلَى الظِّنَنِ

Wrap it in good thoughts,

For forgiving some of the wrongs a noble man endures

فَالصَّفْحُ عَنْ بَعْضِ مَا يُمْنَى الْكَرِيمُ بِهِ

فَضْلٌ يَطِيرُ بِهِ شُكْرٌ بِلا ثَمَنِ

Is a virtue that sends thanks winging without price,

This is the path, so if you stray from its law

هَذَا الطَّرِيقُ فَإِنْ أَخْطَأْتَ شِرْعَتَهُ

أَضَعْتَ نَفْسَكَ بَيْنَ الْحَوْضِ وَالْعَطَنِ

You will lose yourself between pool and dung-heap,